The game behind the games. Like any other medium, gamers have a culture all their own, replete with jargon and its own brand of social maneuvering. Be warned: The stuff in here will inescapably [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife ruin your eyesight]], [[TheNewRockAndRoll twist your spine]], [[{{Demonization}} and keep America from winning the war]], as it documents scarily obsessive gamer jargon that barely resembles English.----[floatboxright:See also:+FanWork+TheHistoryOfVideoGames+VideoGameCreators++VideoGameCompanies+VideoGameTacticalIndex][[index]][floatboxright:Depictions:* ArcadeSounds* FictionalVideoGame* TheMostDangerousVideoGame* PacManFever* PersonalArcade* UltimateGamer386* UltraSuperDeathGoreFestChainsawer3000* UltraSuperHappyCuteBabyFestFarmer3000]

!!Tropes:* {{Abandonware}} \\A piece of commercial software that's not for sale anymore.* AchievementSystem \\How close are YOU to 100% completion? Gotta achieve 'em all!* AIBreaker \\Using a particular aspect of the computer's AI to "cheat" at a game.* AfterActionReport \\A type of FanFiction for strategy games that involves a blow-by-blow description of a campaign.* AllegedlyFreeGame \\Although advertised as "free", the game actually has restrictions that you need to pay to override. * {{Altitis}} \\A malady that causes a player to compulsively create alternate accounts for a game.* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore \\When a Japanese game gets to America, the packaging and ads have to look DarkerAndEdgier or just '''angrier'''.* TheAnimeOfTheGame \\When a popular game is adapted into an anime.* AntiPoopSocking \\When breaks are built into the game, or the game reminds you to take one. * ArcadePerfectPort \\The highest acclaim a port of an arcade game to a console or computer could get.* AscendedGlitch \\When a glitch or bug is enjoyed so much it gets treated as a legitimate gameplay element.* AttractMode \\The display a game shows when nobody is playing.* [[AwesomeBosses/VideoGames Awesome: Video Game Bosses]] \\{{Squee}}eeeeee!* [[Awesome/VideoGameLevels Awesome: Video Game Levels]] \\You know that part, where you have to jump that bit, and then ride that thing, and oh man, it's awesome!* UsefulNotes/BetaTest \\The video game testing process.* ButtonMashing \\Don't know which button to press? Completely new to a FightingGame? Mash the keys and pray!* CapcomSequelStagnation \\Publishers with an annoying tendency to release one game, and then release it again several times with minor changes before any wholesale {{sequel}} ever comes along.* CasualCompetitiveConflict\\Is it just a game and [[MST3KMantra we should really just relax]], or should we squeeze all we can out of it? [[FlameBait Careful which one you choose]].* CatharsisFactor \\We kill stuff in video games to let off stress!* ChallengeGamer \\A gamer who focuses entirely on improving his skills in a game to the point of insanity, and often showing off about it.* CharacterTiers \\Where fans argue about which characters are the best in a competitive game.* CheckpointStarvation \\There are long periods of time between checkpoints or save points.* CherryTapping \\Purposely using weak attacks to bring down a powerful opponent, often for humiliation's sake.%%%% The ChildsPlay article is currently getting renamed for disambiguation purposes.%% See this TRS thread for details: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1330384065014320100&page=1%%%% ChildsPlay \\%%A charity started by ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' that organizes worldwide toy drives to children's hospitals, distributing toys, games, books, etc. %%* CheatCode** ClassicCheatCode \\A sequence of commands that unlocks bonuses.** KonamiCode \\A famous cheat code originating in ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}''.* ComplacentGamingSyndrome \\The phenomenon where players stick to the settings or characters they are used to no matter what.** AbridgedArenaArray \\Competitions take place only on select maps, as if the others do not exist.* UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars \\The competition between electronics companies to increase their video game market share. * CopyProtection \\Ways of ensuring you own the game you're playing.* CountrySwitch \\Where the same game is released in different locations, and programmed to act differently depending on where it's being played.* CrossPlayer \\A person whose online avatar is of the opposite gender.* DaddySystem \\A situation in which both a "next-gen" console and its predecessor are both still being made, sold, and developed for concurrently. * DamnYouMuscleMemory \\Where you're used to playing with a particular control scheme, then start another game that uses one that's ''almost'' the same, and you keep getting killed because you're pressing the wrong button.** DamnYouMuscleMemory/VideoGames - For video game examples. %%This was split off due to page size limitations.* DefaultSettingSyndrome \\The game offers a wide variety of modes, options, and characters, but none of that matters because everyone's too lazy to use anything other than the defaults.* {{Demoscene}} \\A computer art subculture which specializes in producing demos, which are audiovisual presentations that are run in real-time on a computer or other platform.* TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything \\Games which try and predict absolutely ''everything'' the user will try.* UsefulNotes/DigitalDistribution \\Selling (or giving away) games entirely as DownloadableContent.* DisappointingLastLevel \\Where a game suddenly has a huge dip in playability and rise in frustration as you near the end.* DownloadableContent \\Game data that is downloaded into the game that wasn't there originally.* DoujinSoft \\Independently-made games released at Japanese conventions. * DuelingGames \\A list of games that are considered imitations of each other.* DummiedOut \\Data, levels, characters etc. that are still in the game code but are normally inaccessible.* EffortlessAchievement\\When a game give you an achievement for essentially doing nothing but starting the game, creating a character or just something you would have done anyway.* EightPointEight \\The stir created in the video game community when a high-profile game receives an unexpectedly high or low score from a major reviewer.* {{Emulation}} \\Running an ''emulator'', which is a program that can play games on a platform or PC designed for other platforms.* ExpansionPack \\Extra material produced for an existing game, either by the game's original production company or by a third party.* {{E3}} \\Electronic Entertainment Expo, a major gaming event held in California every year.* FakeBalance \\When concepts are used which, on paper, make a game apper to be balanced, but in reality, it is not.* FakeDifficulty \\When developers use things like LuckBasedMission and TrialAndErrorGameplay to create the illusion of a challenge. Or, when it IS challenging, but for the wrong reasons.* FakeLongevity \\Things that pad out a game's length so they can brag about having "100 hours of gameplay!"* FanRemake \\A (generally freeware) game created by fans of the original game, which attempts to recreate the original game experience.* FanSequel \\Where the fan community creates a sequel to a work when the original creators won't.* FanTranslation \\The translation of games that only appeared in other languages (almost always Japanese) into the player's native language (almost always English). * {{Fanon}} \\The set of theories based on that material which, while they generally seem to be the "obvious" or "only" interpretation of canonical fact, are not actually part of the {{canon}}.* {{Feelies}} \\Replicas of video game items or other relevant props that come packaged with a game. * UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity \\A congregation of gamers primarily focused on competitive fighting games.* {{Freemium}} \\You can pay to upgrade your Free account to a Premium account with more perks.* FourPointScale \\A derisive term for the (supposed) inability of professional game reviewers to give any game a score under 6.0, even if they're nominally using a ten-point scale.* GaidenGame \\A game that's part of a series but not a main entry: a side story or PerspectiveFlip.* GameBreaker \\Using some natural feature of a game in an unnatural way, resulting in a huge advantage or benefit.** PurposelyOverpowered \\A GameBreaker done on purpose, usually done only temporarily.* GameBreakingBug \\A bug that seriously cripples or destroys the ability to continue with a game.* GameGenie\\A cheating peripheral most prominent in the [=1980s and 1990s=].* GameMod \\Alterations to a game that were not made by the game's license holder.* GameMaker \\A software "toolkit" that usually contains a pre-designed framework for a particular type of game, allowing that game to be made more easily by fans.* GameMusic \\Video game soundtracks.* GameOver \\[[VideoGame/IWannaBeTheGuy PRESS 'R' TO TRY AGAIN]]* GameplayDerailment \\When a bug or feature is found after a game is released which seriously changes the way it is played by a large segment of players.* GameplayRoulette \\A franchise where every game falls into a different gameplay genre.* GameShark \\A console cheat device most prominent around the turn of the millenium.* GamerChick \\The lone female in a male gaming clan, who's often portrayed as tomboyish, confrontational, and self-aware of her gender (in worst cases, to the point of flaunting it around unnecessarily), and often can whup the other gamers' asses.* GamingClan \\A team of people that play multiplayer games together.* Website/GiantBomb \\A Review, industry news site with an open-source gaming wiki.* {{GIRL}} \\Guy In Real Life* GodModders \\Relative newcomers to a game who nevertheless act as if they know everything about it, and often rely on cheats or exploits to win.* GodMode \\Cheat-based invincibility.* GoodBadBugs \\A bug in a video game which ends up being fun or useful.* GoodBadTranslation \\A translation which is SoBadItsGood, and ends up being so popular that better-made remakes will refuse to correct it.* TheGreatPlayerVersusPlayerDebate \\Whether it's better to allow players to attack each other anywhere, only in certain areas, or not at all.* TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983 \\A sad day in history.* {{Griefer}} \\A particular species of {{troll}} who exists to ruin other players' fun.* HitAndRunTactics \\Defeating a strong but slow enemy by repeatedly moving away and throwing weak long-range attacks at him.* HollywoodGameDesign \\Where TV and movies do not do the research when they depict video games being made.* ImportGaming \\The trials and tribulations of getting a game meant to be played in one country to be played elsewhere.* IndieGame \\A game developed without the backing of a major publisher.** Website/IndieGameMagazine \\An online publication dedicated to promoting {{Indie Game}}s.* ItsEasySoItSucks \\I miss all that FakeDifficulty, dangit!* ItsHardSoItSucks \\[[RageQuit RAWWWWWWRRRR!!]] Games are supposed to be fun, and frustration isn't fun!* ItsShortSoItSucks \\Any game less than 100 hours can't be worth the money I paid for it!* ItGetsBetter \\Games that start out very slow, with lots of {{exposition}}.* JustOneMoreLevel \\The game is quite addictive. Really, really addictive. * KillerApp \\A game that's so good it's a reason to buy the system it's on.* KingOfGames \\A character that is a master of multiple types of games.* LadyNotAppearingInThisGame\\Shoehorning a sexy woman in a commercial to trick players into buying the game ie assuming most gamers are perverts.* LeeroyJenkins \\An inexperienced gamer who has no patience for complex plans and prefers to rush in and kill something, generally screwing up the plan entirely.* LootDrama \\An item that's so rare, powerful, and unique that gamers will do horrible things to get it.* LordBritishPostulate \\If it exists as a living creature in an MMORPG, someone, somewhere, will try to kill it.* {{Machinima}} \\Movies made with images from game engines.* {{Machinomics}} \\Like {{Machinima}}, above, but of static images instead of movies, in a WebComic format.* {{Macrogame}} \\Some part of a game that carries over between multiple playthroughs or multiple players. * MaddenCurse \\Whoever appears on the cover of the latest edition of the ''Madden NFL'' series will either not be up to snuff in the upcoming NFL season, or will suffer a major injury and be sidelined for a year. * ManualMisprint \\The game manual is wrong. Hilarity ensues.* MarthDebutedInSmashBros \\Where a character's crossover appearance in a game will be exported before the character's ''actual'' original appearance, confusing people as to where he/she actually originated.* MasterConsole \\A means to issue commands or change game settings, which can ostensibly allow cheating.* MediaWatchdog \\A government-appointed body whose job it is to field complaints about media and censure or penalize the creators if deemed necessary.** BannedInChina \\If a repressive government doesn't like it, it's gonna get banned.** MoralGuardians \\Groups of people who want to protect children from being exposed to some level of sex, violence, etc.* {{Metagame}} \\With competitive games, the collection of strategies in common use; how everyone else is playing.* {{Microtransactions}} \\You can spend real-world money for individual pieces of in-game content.* MissionPackSequel \\A sequel that's really just extra levels or content for the original game.* MostAnnoyingSound \\If [[VideoGame/YoshisIsland Baby Mario]] doesn't stop crying ''right now'' there is going to be some major child abuse going on.* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound \\[[Franchise/FinalFantasy DADADA-DAAA-DA-DA-DADADAAAAAH!]]* MostGamersAreMale \\Bring on the {{fanservice}}.* MostWritersAreMale \\Er... ditto?* MultiPlatform \\A game is developed for release on multiple gaming platforms.* {{Munchkin}} \\A player who plays the game to "win" at any cost, even if that isn't the point of the game.* MurderSimulators \\The allegation that (for example) because games feature killing, they are the cause of increased homicide amongst video game players.* {{Nerf}} \\A change to a game that weakens a particular item, ability, or tactic.* {{New Game Plus}} \\Once you finish a game, this is the ability to unlock special abilities or endings when starting it over, using the same save file.* NonLinearSequel \\Although called a sequel, the second game may not share much with the first other than shared setting and references.* {{Noob}} \\A novice at a particular game, usually with negative connotations.* NoobBridge \\A point in a game where a unique and unusual aspect of the controls is necessary, frequently leaving inobservant gamers stuck.* NoScope \\The act of shooting a SniperRifle or other scoped weapon without a scope. Requires considerable skill in some games.* NotTheIntendedUse \\The ''player'' equivalent of FakeDifficulty.* ObviousBeta \\A rushed piece of software that is full of bugs.** PerpetualBeta \\A piece of software receiving regular support that remains full of bugs.* OddballInTheSeries \\One game in the series which is the "odd man out" for whatever reason.* Website/OldManMurray \\A vastly influential critical video game website.* OpenRoleplayingDecay \\As {{MMORPG}}s get more players, the game eventually mutates into something the original members don't like.* PauseScumming \\Abusing the pause button by pausing at a specific time or pausing repeatedly.* UsefulNotes/PCVsConsole \\Similar to the UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars, this is the never-ending fight between PC gamers and console gamers.* PickUpGroup \\Where an {{MMORPG}} player broadcasts a request for other gamers to join him and form a party to go adventuring.* PinballSpinoff \\When a company creates a pinball game based on a successful franchise.* PlayerGeneratedEconomy \\Where games have a trading system that the players develop.* PlayerKilling \\The act of killing another player's avatar in a multiplayer game, generally used in cooperative games to denote "unnecessary" kills.* PlayerTic \\You keep doing things in video games even when they aren't necessary.* PlayerVersusPlayer \\ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.* PlayEveryDay \\Some games would rather you play a few minutes today, tomorrow, and the next day than [[JustOneMoreLevel ten hours right now]].* PolygonCeiling \\When a series goes from 2D to 3D, it often has issues.* PolishedPort \\When a game is ported from one platform to another, things go ''wonderfully right''.* PortingDisaster \\When a game is ported from one platform to another, things go ''horribly wrong''.* TheProblemWithLicensedGames \\Games based on existing licensed properties ''suck''.* ProductFacelift \\When an older system is revamped into something physically smoother and sleeker to boost sales.* QuicksandBox \\An WideOpenSandbox game that fails to give you any indication about what to do next.* RageQuit \\When you're about to lose, you just quit the game in anger rather than actually see the GameOver screen.* RainbowPimpGear \\When players equip their characters with gear solely based on stat bonuses [[RummageSaleReject without consideration to how it will look on them.]]* RandomDrop \\The item you need for that quest has a 0.005% chance of dropping when you defeat the boss of this area. Good luck, and see you in four years... maybe.* RatedMForMoney \\Developers include blood, guts and sexual content to [[PanderingToTheBase target the hardcore gaming market]].* ReformulatedGame \\When a game changes radically between its various versions.* RegionCoding \\The assignment of a number representing a geographic region to a DVD or console.* RemadeForTheExport \\Where a game that was never released in a specific region is remade or ported to a new system specifically to be localized.* ReplayValue \\A measure of how fun a game is after you've beaten it.* RetroGaming \\An interest in playing older video games.* RevenueEnhancingDevices \\Design features that seem solely designed to ensure increased profit for the manufacturer without adding any value for the consumer. ** CompilationRerelease \\Where publishers bundle several previously released games on one disc and sell it as a compilation.** LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition \\A better, souped-up edition of the original, with added bonuses.** OneGameForThePriceOfTwo \\Take one game, split it into two, and put a few exclusive collectibles in each version, while the rest of the game is identical.** PreOrderBonus \\Where those who preorder a game before it's released get special exclusive bonuses.** UpdatedRerelease \\When a bigger, badder, better version of a game is released a year or two after the original, sometimes as an enhanced port on a different console.*** GameOfTheYearEdition\\A specific subtype; the game and all its {{Expansion Pack}}s[=/=]{{DLC}}s on a single disc.** VideoGameRemake \\Where an older game gets a graphical update, possibly some gameplay tweaks, and is re-released, generally on a newer platform.* ReviewsAreTheGospel \\Video gamers tend to place more stock in professional reviews of works than fans of any other medium.* RuleOfFun \\It doesn't have to make sense, as long as it's fun.* {{Ryona}} \\{{Fetish}} videos about defeating or beating up female characters in fighting and survival games.* SaveScumming \\Save the game often, and if you do something wrong, just reload the save.* ScrappyMechanic \\A gameplay mechanic in an otherwise fun/enjoyable game that generates a sizable {{hatedom}}.* ScriptBreaking \\Doing something which is technically allowed but messes up the assumed order of events, often resulting in an {{unwinnable}} game.* {{Scrub}} \\A player of a competitive videogame who adamantly believes that his or her "house rules" should apply to everyone to promote his or her view of "fair play". Most of the said "house rules" are things he or she makes up on the spot and his or her view of "fair play" is "as long as I win 95% of the time".* SelfImposedChallenge \\A playthrough of a game wherein the player plays under an restriction not required by the game itself in an attempt to increase the difficulty and replay value.** DoublePlay \\One player controls both characters in a two-player mode. ** HundredPercentCompletion \\Completing the game after finding every single possible thing there is to find.** LowLevelRun \\Completing the game with your CharacterLevel as low as possible.** MinimalistRun \\Completing the game while getting as few items or abilities as possible.** NoCasualtiesRun \\Completing the game without anyone dying.** NoDamageRun \\Completing the game without taking damage.** PacifistRun \\Completing the game while doing as little damage as possible to enemies or without killing anyone.** SoloCharacterRun \\Completing the game with only one character (in games with [[PlayerParty Player Parties]].)** {{Speedrun}} \\Completing the game as fast as possible.** StealthRun \\Completing a StealthBasedGame without being discovered.* SequelDisplacement \\Where one sequel ends up being considered where a series "begins" and earlier games tend to be ignored or forgotten.* {{Sequelphobic}} \\A subculture that is so jaded by {{Sequelitis}} and CapcomSequelStagnation that its members are predisposed to dislike any product that is a sequel, regardless of its actual value. * SequenceBreaking \\Where you can do things in a different order than intended, skipping past "required" events or items.* {{Shovelware}} \\Software that's so low-quality, you'll wonder how (and why) it was released at all.* SidetrackedByTheGoldSaucer \\A mini-game or secondary quest that's so addicting and fun, you forget about the main game.* SongAssociation \\The seemingly endless repeats of songs heard in a video game makes a song distracting in other environments because of the association with said video game.* StopHavingFunGuys \\An expert player who always plays to win and can't understand why anyone would play the game to have, you know, ''fun''.* SpiritualSuccessor \\A type of sequel that is not part of the same world or story as its predecessor, but is nonetheless considered to be a successor because of shared creators or themes.* StrategyGuide \\A printed guide stuffed full of information on a game and purty pictures.* SuccessionGame \\A form of multiplayer gameplay where, instead of competing against one another, the players take turns controlling a single faction.* SuperTitle64Advance \\The title of a game that indicates what system it's released for.* ThatOneAchievement \\Why must it be so hard to get this achievement???* ThatOneBoss \\Dear ''God'', how the heck do I beat this guy?!?* ThatOneLevel \\[[OhGodWithTheVerbing Oh God, the level with the lava]] and the {{spikes|OfDoom}} and the Medusa heads and AHHHH!* ThatOnePlayer \\Someone who's so skilled at a game that whenever anyone plays with or against him it's no longer any fun.* ThatOneSidequest \\Yeah, there's that great sword... but seriously, '''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX less than zero seconds on a Chocobo race?]]'''* TheTetrisEffect \\The game draws you in so much, you begin see its elements in RealLife. * TournamentPlay \\Professional video game players in national or international competitions for real money.* TranslationStyleChoices \\The various ways that companies can choose to approach the finicky business of localization.* TreasureHunter \\A player who's more interested in the monetary value of items than their actual impact on gameplay.* TryEverything \\EXTRA! Frustrated gamer throws up hands, just tries using every single inventory item and skill to continue!* {{Twinking}} \\Using a high-level character to make life easier for a low-level one.* UnexpectedCharacter \\A strange or unknown character makes an appearance in a video game adaptation of a franchise.* UrbanLegendOfZelda \\A video game rumor that seems ''almost'' plausible and just won't die.* {{Vaporware}} \\Computer or video game software or hardware that's constantly hyped but never seems to actually be released.* VideoGame3DLeap \\When a VideoGame series makes the leap from [[UsefulNotes/BitmapsSpritesAndTextures sprite graphics]] to PolygonalGraphics. * VideoGameCaringPotential \\The game presents characters in such a way to make you care about them past their utility in the gameplay.* VideoGameCrueltyPotential \\The potential a video game has for the player to do [[KickTheDog awful]], [[MoralEventHorizon horrible]] things to enemies or even friendly and neutral {{NPC}}s.** CruelPlayerCharacterGod \\When a game that puts you in the position of god of that world, and you use it to make peoples' lives hell.** CrueltyIsTheOnlyOption \\When a game's plot ''forces'' you to do horrible things.** TheJoysOfTorturingMooks \\Because where's the fun in [[JustShootHim just shooting them]]?* VideogameDemake \\A game is voluntarily remade to look and play like it comes from an older generation.* VideoGamePerversityPotential \\The tendency of some players to use a game's editing tools to create porn.* VideoGameMovies \\An index page of all of the video game movies with their own pages.** VideoGameMoviesSuck \\It's just one of those things.* {{Walkthrough}} \\A document that shows how to play through a game and win.** LetsPlay \\A screenshot or video walkthrough with commentary; the goal is generally to show off how the player [[AfterActionReport plays the game normally.]]

!!Websites & Communities:* Website/GameCola \\A [[http://www.gamecola.net/ website]] devoted to observing video games in a clever and humorous light.* Website/GameFAQs \\One of the largest video game FAQ, cheat, and walkthrough [[http://www.gamefaqs.com/ websites]] in existence.* UsefulNotes/OperationRainfall \\A website campaigning for localizations of Japan-only games.[[/index]]----